Chapter 4

The morning came and I was set to be on my way to the palace.

Last night, the King left confused and bothered as I begged him to play along with Elizabeth's plan to marry me off to him. Though at first, he protested; I told him I'll explain everything to him tomorrow and that everything will make sense when we make it to the palace. He only agreed last night and left because I promised that I wasn't a spy or an assassin that was out to get him and take over the throne.

The memories of last night played in my head:

"Please! Just play along with her plan!" he glared at me in detest "How can I play along with such an absurd plan?! This is treason! —How do I know you aren't a spy, or an assassin sent by one of the many kingdoms to conquer, Clover City?!—" I covered his mouth quickly with my hand to quiet him down, just in case if Elizabeth was near "Shh! —Listen, I promise my intentions are pure of heart. I have no intentions of having killed you. Everything will make sense tomorrow—I promise I'll explain everything. But for right now, leave. Elizabeth will know something's wrong if she sees you now..." I removed my hand from his mouth, and he sighed "This is absolute absurdity. But I'll leave because this situation in its own right has worn me out. You have until nightfall tomorrow, to explain yourself and change my mind from taking action." he walks out, while my thought gathered in absolute fear of what actions could be took...

I sighed as Elizabeth walked in "Your carriage to the palace is here." I nod but my emotions for her never changed. Though I felt I understood why she was doing it, I still didn't agree with her methods, and I knew the King agreed just as much. She saw my face and saddened "Don't look at me like that... At least this way my family stays in good graces with the King and you get to meet the King. Plus adding a bonus of being royalty in the end." I could feel my brain shrink a size just listening to her. If only she knew the King already knew the truth. But there was no way in hell I was telling her that.

I packed the last bit of my stuff and turned to her "So, how about my horse?" I questionably asked her. She turned away from me "Your horse is ready to go as well. However, I should give you a fair warning?" I could feel myself growing cold as she spoke carefully "King Zoran isn't officially king yet." I stared at her back confused "What do you mean, he isn't King? I remember you saying the same thing last night, but I wasn't sure what it meant..." turning around, she saddens "It means this marriage has to fall through for him to claim his rightful place on the throne. You can't have him find out the truth. His position and the kingdom are relying on this marriage and an heir." My blood completely ran cold. Everything stopped in place. I could feel my heart stop as everything processed itself into me. The King—or the prince already knew the truth! If I knew everything was riding on this, I would have done better to escape. I can't marry the prince and have a child! I'm not nobility nor royalty—or not until I figure where I'm from originally...

My mind ran on the brooch Ms. Fayta gave me. I had too much on my mind. I had my village to think about—But the Prince who I thought was King already had a whole Kingdom to think about... How was I going to explain this to him? How was this going to make any sense? I told him to just go along with it but now I know he has too much riding on this marriage... His throne, his father's hope...an heir...

I shook my head, in clear preceptive that I was upset "How are you only telling me this now?! I can't marry him now! You didn't tell me marrying him would give him pathway to becoming King! That wasn't the deal! This wasn't what you told me!" She snapped back "You wanted to meet the King and I wanted out of marriage! To me, I held up my end pretty well—So what? I didn't tell you the details of the engagement and what it entitled. But what's done is done. You'll marry him in my place and become the first daughter of this estate." she began to walk but I yanked her back by her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. I turned her to face me "What am I supposed to do?! Lie for the rest of my life?! This isn't just a day of playing pretend! This involves the citizens of Clover City. I can't lie to them." Elizabeth smacked my hand away "Oh don't you get so righteous. I always wondered why you wanted to see the King so badly. But it never crossed my mind that you were royalty yourself. I mean, that's how the idea came to me originally. At first, running into was just by chance. Bringing you back to my home was also a way to see if you'd be fit to take my place." She smirked "But when you were getting dressed, I saw a golden brooch. Beautifully crafted with a crescent moon shinning above its mountain tops. The very same symbol of a Kingdom from twenty years ago, whose daughter disappeared with that same brooch in her hair." she eyed me to see my reaction, but I was too busy taking in the tales of what could be my history...

I grew wearier of her and was careful enough to ask "...Which kingdom was it?" shock played on her face but wanting answers played on mines. Taking me in she said with absolute confidence "KiKan Valley."

Everything dropped. That didn't make any sense. My father use to talk about that place. Told me they were famous for their calm and peaceful nature. He never mentioned anything about a royal family nor a princess going missing...

I glared at her with my muscles tensed "I don't believe you. You had no right to go through my belongings—besides KiKan Valley didn't have a royal family nor any princess. I would have known that information—" she cut me off "Oh really? So, tell me something. How do you know what you know now? How do you know what was told to you versus what was hidden from you?" I felt myself become silent.

She was right...

Everything that I knew was what someone else told me. Besides, my father didn't even tell me about the brooch. Ms.Fayta did... Could I really follow what he told me in the past now, so blindly?

Elizabeth smiled "I'm not dumbing your knowledge however, if you really want to know. Talk to his Highness himself—I'm sure he'd be willing to share history lessons to his soon-to-be bride." I snapped at her "I can't! —You know I can't! This isn't a joke to me, Elizabeth! To me, knowing this could change my life! —" I caught myself, as the room came to a complete stop. She stared at me confused "What do you mean by that? How can this possibly change your life? I just told you that your royalty. To me, your life has changed just enough." I could feel myself growing rather annoyed. I took a step forward toward her and guild my hand across her face.

The loud clap against her face made everything freeze in time. She was messing with my life. My mission. And when dropping a bomb like that in my presence of dyer weakness and need of answers, she makes it a joke and brush it off like it didn't matter. I knew exactly where my feelings stood with her; I feel ridiculous for thinking for a second she was worth a gold piece of my worry "Do you enjoy making people your puppet? Toying with their life when they have nothing left to lose?" shock rang on her face but nothing mattered anymore "You may be the daughter of nobility but don't mistake me—the only reason I'm putting up with you is because you have access to the King and now that I have it, your usefulness has been rather proven thus far as pointless. So, as of right now, I don't need you." I grabbed her arm, pinning it up against her spine into the wall "I'll personally make you regret everything up till now. You're going to fix what you've broken." Though she was clearly in pain; she turned her neck slightly to face me "You're not from where you say you are, are you?" I glared at her "You were too busy planning to marry me off that I never thought to bring it up—however I didn't think I'd have to stay longer than necessary. But now, there is a Prince waiting for my arrival. And I've been thinking, why don't we try the truth for a change. I'll start first." I pinned her hard and she yelped in pain "My name is Moonjira Fang, from a little village called Riverband—that's dying from starvation and elderly weak. I came here to talk to the King. That brooch you saw—is a part of my life for some reason and it seems every time I look at—I've felt I've been lied to my whole life. But now, it's thanks to you this marriage has a lot more riding on it than I thought. I want out." Elizabeth smirked but it didn't reach her eyes "It's already too late for that. You want out? Only way out is death. You want to save your village, right? What better way to save them than to marry the man that has the power to do so?"

My grip loosened on her as she made a rather clever point. I was in a position to marry into royalty. I'll be in a position of status and title. I'd be Queen... But the Prince already knew too much. He's now waiting for my explanation. My heart dropped into my gut. I looked around the room as my father came to view in my mind and all I could see on his face was power and strength. One he gave when he went to fight Zuko's soldiers. One that I knew that I had to master if I wanted to make it through this. She turned and looked at me and she smiled "You're finally getting it, huh. You may talk about truth, but you know your people need saving." she circles around me like a predator circling its prey and she gentle touched my chin to raise it to look at her "You know deep down that you're their last hope. I mean, if it was me, I would take this as a blessing in disguise—like a prayer being answered from the trees of wishes. But in this case, the gods only chose to grant yours." I smacked her hand away and glared at her "I refused to be taken to your level. What I do, I do for my people. What you do, you do out of your own selfishness." I took a step closer to her and a part of me was happy she wasn't the one marrying the prince. I could feel myself grow more comfort in that feeling and smirked at her "You were right to not marry him. You would've made for a terrible Queen to be. But I for one, will take this opportunity and make sure your family doesn't get to see the light of day."

Walking around her, I glared at her promisingly "Because thanks to you, I get to save my people. I guess I can't completely be angry at you. However, when I'm queen...doesn't that mean I get to rule over you?" She glared back "Is that a threat?" smiling, I answered not sure what I meant "I don't know. All I know is that people like you will do anything to get your way if this lie continues longer than necessary... I just think I should make it clear who will be the one with the power. After-all, I am supposed to be a Gale, no? I should put on the Gale attitude as a matter of my people's survival." she smiles at me "Are you growing more confident in the lie?" I snapped at her "Don't think for a second this is confidence out of your own greed—I will tell the truth. But that's only after I get what I want." Elizabeth shakes her head in disbelief "You may think you don't move in the same snakeskin because our wants differ. But mark my words, once you put on the skin it's not that easy to shed." Her words almost left a somewhat pain to the truth she spoke. However, she wasn't my main problem. I had a Prince to tame. Surely enough he wasn't stupid either, he knows I'm no Gale.

Would it be safe to play dumb? Ignore the possibilities of being punished if caught in this web of lies? I surely, wasn't planning on giving up so easily. I just had to make his Highness aware that I'm nothing more than a Gale; maybe it was time to play Elizabeth's game. I realized in Clover City, I can't be the innocent, small village girl from Riverband. If I wanted to get my people help, I'll have to manipulate the circumstances into my liking. This calls for more underhanded work, but if it means the end to my people's suffering. So be it.

The servants placed all my belongings in a separate carriage from the one I was riding in with the prince. I turned to take one last look at the first time I was able to step foot in such a beautiful place. But my mind cursed me only making me aware that it was wasted on such ratchet people. If they weren't nobility, I would have thought they were part of Zuko's world domination. I didn't waste time, saying goodbyes either.

As soon as I entered the carriage, the prince was waiting patiently in his fine silks. Silks my people only wished they could look upon because in reality they couldn't afford it.

His gaze meets mines "I see you made well to fit in." I could feel myself ready to slap him, but the cost of slapping royalty was almost death. I needed him. I'll do well to keep in mind that need changes with time. I calmly smiled as the door was closed behind me "What is it you mean? There is no need. My mother may have been a concubine, but it will do you well to respect that I am who I am." His gaze widens at my response "Will you really play this game? Even though last night the way you spo—" I cut in before he could finish that sentence "—Last night, I wasn't myself. Excuse my manners, last night I snuck into my father's wine cellar before I knew I was to meet you. Last night, was nothing more than a girl who lacked control over her own sanity. Please forgive my rudeness. I also happened to be mad at my sister that night and made her out to be a monster." I bowed my head slightly and looked back up "I'm almost embarrass to say, I was mad about taking her place. But it's my duty as the first born. I had time to think, and I'll hold to my end, your Highness." He looks at me almost caught between disbelief and awe. I assumed this wasn't what he was expecting but he nods slowly taking in the information "Ah, it seems you had too much to drink. So, you're really the first born?" I nod confirming his question, but I could feel this only raised suspicions, but he lay them to rest as he looked out the window "So be it. If this is to be the story, I won't question any further. My father needs me married. So, for his sake, I won't dig into meaningless things." I smiled at this turns of events but that was short lived when he said "But mark my words, if there is any chance that you are a threat. I will take you down and have you burned with the rest of my enemies." He turns from the window to look at me "I don't buy your story, but I won't act like I know the details. But all I ask, is that your loyalty to me and this kingdom remain solid as the lie you told. Anything other than that I will not tolerate."

My jaw tightened as he looked away from me and back to the window. I swallowed hard that I felt he could hear my inner thoughts growing. As expected of a future King. Ruthless and merciless to any threats; knocking them down before they have a chance to arise. He was indeed trained to rule with power and influence. If he was anything else, I would be worried. But I would be lying if I said, I didn't fear the things he would do me if my loyalty didn't match up with the mercy, he's given to show me.

And though I was grateful he turned his cheek from my lie, I know soon enough I would be tested as we made our way to the palace.